Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

“He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”

I read A Court of Thorn and Roses so long ago I barely remembered what happened at the middle of the book (because let's face it, the real story starts Under the Mountain) so I was a little reticent at the start of this one because when I finished said previous book I just thought it was alright, it didn't feel particularly compelling and the romantic interest, honestly, just wasn't for me. In fact I didn't even realize it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until later because there is no beast in it.

However I still decided to give A Court of Mist and Fury a try, I mean who knows? And I had also read some shining reviews in the meanwhile so why not? And let me tell you, I was completely, utterly blown away; putting things in perspective right now the first book almost feels like a prologue. I loved how the relationships were handled, Feyre's change of heart and the inclusion of abusive relationships and depression are a welcome adition in a genre that often neglects such topics.

And then there's Rhysand, bad boy Rhys who under all the abuse he has endured still has a gentle heart. He's probably one of the best YA romantic interests I've had the pleasure to read about, he's caring and thoughtful and such a refreshing change from seemingly perfect Tamlin. His and Feyre's relationship is populated by shameless flirting, teasing and an the understanding between two people who have been through similar, if painful experiences. I loved the entire thing. So if you've liked the first book I cannot begin to emphasize how much you should read the next one.